p57 1817 Journal Thomas Dean

PART IX Voncn Tizorr Four Hnmusou TO THE Mourn or THE M.[ssissINEwA Rrvran AND RETURN

August 20th, 1817. We sold some of our axes, settled our bills, prepared to start, and settled with Jacob Dick. Paid him $25.06 toward helping him to defray the expense of the treaty, and I made Sarah (his wife) some other presents. We started at about 4 P. M. and Truman Ford went with us to Brouitlets Creek. At dark we all lay in the boat until morning. It is eight or nine miles from the fort.

August Zlst. Ford gave me some ore to have tested. We started early in the morning, went up the river as fast as we could. There were four or iive canoes, containing about twenty-two Indians, in sight. They were still in sight in the aftemoon. At night we put up on a bank and the canoes all passed us. We supposed that we came about twenty-hve miles this day. We lodged in the boat.

August 2Zd. We started early in the morning, went up the river, and about 12 o'dock came to a coal bank. Went to examine it; found the different courses to be about six- teen or eighteen feet deep and of a long extent. We took some of the coal to carry home, but we had it from the surface and with it some kind of ore, etc. In going on we passed the Indians that had passed us the night before. Went up the river until night, we supposed about twenty-